Rolesville Schools drive collects 5 truckloads of food, supplies for students amid coronavirus concerns

ABC11 Together highlights the strength of the human spirit, good deeds, community needs, and how our viewers can help

Monday, March 16, 2020
Rolesville food drive helps those in need during virus crises
Rolesville food drive helps those in need during virus crises

ROLESVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- ABC11 Together is highlighting good deeds amid the coronavirus crisis. Several Wake County public schools are feeding students during the shut-in.

Food and supplies might be flying off of store shelves, but donors such as Sherwood Bobbitt braved the crowds to help feed Wake County students.

"It's really tough; a lot of meals that they get are at the schools on a daily basis, that's why I got up and did something," Bobbit said.

Statistics show that more than 50,000 Wake County students are on free or reduced lunch. The shutdown of schools because of COVID-19 fears makes the food insecurity crisis even more critical as many students dependent on schools for food are at risk of going hungry.

Four Rolesville area schools banded together Monday to give back. They hosted a three-hour food drive to collect food and supplies. When it was all said and done, they collected five truckloads of food.

"I just had a parent email me minutes ago. Said I saw it on the news. I have five children; is there anything you can do to help? So to be able to say yes, we got you taken care of, that's what this is all about," said Thaddeus Sherman, Rolesville Middle School principal.

Rolesville Middle School has its own Food Pantry but serves all of Wake County. The team plans to hand-deliver the food this week.